Visits to the Underworld
by Celeste-poet
Summary: Continuation of Sailor Pluto:Guardian of the Underworld.Trista returns to the underworld&falls in love with Hades.Their love was forbidden,but they never knew why.Now the consequences may reveal themselves to be deadly...unless Fate can stop it.
1. Chapter 1 Loneliness

**This is the sequel to my story ****Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Underworld.**** It might make more sense if you read that first, but I think the following chapter(s) can work by themselves. You just might wonder where Fate, Hades, and other characters came from.**

**I am meaning to write the chapters as one-shots, drabbles and such. This is not really one long, connected story. These are events and things Trista learns as she travels through the Underworld.**

**And yes, short chapter. Just an introduction back to the world Trista/Sailor Pluto knew.**

************************************************************************************************************************

Trista had promised Hades she would return one day. She missed him, those dark moments they shared in the shadows of the castle…Fate had left her with longing memories of the way things could be.

_Damn you, Fate_, Trista thought, not caring if her thoughts were heard or not. _How do I go back to the way things were revisited the underworld?_

She couldn't. At this particular moment, she was cleaning the apartment before Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru came home. It had only been four days, three hours, and seven minutes since Trista had left the Underworld (not that she was counting or anything). Yet, it felt longer than those centuries she had been alone at the Time-Space Gate. She didn't want to watch silly human with their silly little lives. She didn't want to pretend everything was okay. People died every day. That was life. But also in life, there is love and companionship. This was what Hades had offered Trista.

Trista wished something would happen, just so she would have an excuse to go see Hades again. Hell could break loose again, for all she cared.

I'm so miserable, she thought sadly as she pushed the vacuum across the carpet.

Sure, there had been a great birthday party when she had returned, and everyone was happy to see her in the real world. She had received an assortment of gifts from everyone; Amara and Michelle gave her a necklace with keys of different sizes as charms, Hotaru gave her a new book by Trista's favorite author, Mina gave her beauty and makeup products, Raye gave her new lucky charms (engraved with the symbol of Pluto), Lita had baked the birthday cake, Ami gave her a silver watch as a gag gift, and Serena gave her a big hug and a portrait of the entire scout team.

As much as she had loved the gifts and being around her friends, Trista realized she had not missed them as much as she thought she would.. She felt guilty for this, but it was the truth.

_I want to go back to the Underworld._

_**Then go ahead; what's stopping you?**_ a voice taunted.

Trista stopped vacuuming under the couch and stood straight up. She switched off the machine. _That voice…I heard it whisper over a vacuum? Strange…Who are you? _she thought.

_**Psh, you know who this is. You have my full permission to travel to and from the Underworld as you please.**_

_Fate?_ Pluto asked.

_**Your thoughts depress me. I normally send Karma to make people's lives better, but I've decided not to mettle with your life too much. Come back if you feel you should do so. Just don't forget your Earthly duties as well. I know, despite what you think, that the scouts missed you very much. They are eternally grateful for all you have done for them.**_

Trista bowed her head, feeling slightly guilty.

_**What are you waiting for? Don't make me send Karma up there after all!**_

_Okay, Fate. I shall be there soon._

_**I know you will be.**_


	2. Chapter 2 The Gift

The portal closed behind her.

Finally, she was home. It felt so right to be here.

Trista did tell her friends this time, and with much understanding, they told her it was okay to go but to return soon, before Christmas, preferably. She didn't tell them she was mostly to going away to see Hades; she omitted that detail from her stories. How odd would it be to tell her friends that she was (possibly) in a relationship with the Lord of the Underworld? Talk about awkward…

Trista, now transformed as Sailor Pluto, strode over towards the castle. She watched Hades as she walked. He was just returning to shore with an empty boat. There was no line of spirits waiting; Hades must have had a slow day. As he landed on shore, he jumped out and tied the boat to the small black dock. "There, now! Short ride for sure," he commented. He turned around, only to jump back at the sudden appearance of Pluto. "Pluto! It is good to see you! You are here much sooner than I expected. You would think Fate would tell me these things…come, let us go to the castle. I'd like to hear about your time away." Hades wrapped his arm around one of Pluto's arms, and together, arm in arm, they walked to the castle together.

"You missed me?" Pluto asked quietly.

"You are asking me that? Of course I missed you my dear. You are a light in the midst of all this darkness. Tell me, how are your friends doing? Is Princess Serena all right?"

Sailor Pluto nodded and together the couple chatted about the scouts while the stone doors of Hades's home opened. As they reached the subject of what had happened as soon as Trista entered the apartment, Hades stopped in his tracks.

"Yes, of course, your birthday! Fate whisked you off before I could even give you your gift!" With that, Hades ran off down a nearby corridor. Pluto blushed and hung her head. _What on Earth is Hades up to_, she wondered. _I can't believe he remembered…after all these years…?_

Hades returned, holding a silver helmet in his hands. In the front center of it was a large garnet. The helmet itself had a shield that could slide down. It reminded Pluto of a cross between an old Greek helmet and one from the Dark Ages. Hades held it out to her. "I'm sorry that this is all I have to give. Fate doesn't see the need for me to go to Earth, and Oracle claims that it would be selfish to even consider doing so."

"Oracle?"

"Ah, that's right, I didn't get to introduce the two of you. She does not get out much herself…she came out right after you left, saying…ah well that's for another time. Anyway, this helmet was once mine, given to me by a Cyclops. It is yours now, my dear—use it wisely."

Pluto stared at the shiny helmet in her hands "What does it do?"

"It turns the wearer invisible," Hades answered.

Pluto gasped. "Oh…I remember now…your legendary helmet…it is said you once lent it to Perseus to kill Medusa…"

Hades nodded. "You remember the story. This is no myth though—it is yours to keep.

Pluto shook her head. "But—I couldn't, it's yours."

Hades chuckled. "You already stole my heart, what's a helmet?"

Pluto's cheeks turned red.


	3. Chapter 3 Charon

Trista, out of her scout uniform, prepared herself for dinner. It had been good to catch up with Hades a bit before it was time to work. After the ferrying work was through, he had invited Trista to a casual dinner at one of the tallest towers. She wanted to look her best, especially since she was considering a confrontation of Hades's feelings._ I want to know how serious he is and what we are going to do about…us,_ she thought. There were rules that prevented this sort of thing from occurring—was Hades willing to break them?

Fluffing her hair and straightening her bun, Trista wished she had Serena's disguise pen. She would transform into a beautiful maiden, worthy of Hades's love. She sighed. _Maybe I should ask for one for Christmas…_

Dashing off to the tower, she prayed that the night would go all right.

********************************************************************************************************************

Underworld dinners are unknown by living people; however, they usually consist of rare, ancient fruits and the occasional lantern fish. Cerebrus chased after the dragons that would try to escape from the dark gates; these ended up caught and cooked as a delicacy. Also, dark grains grew in the fields beyond the river; these were harvested and made into pasta in starry shapes.

Tonight's meal consisted of the rare dragon and some of the dark pasta, and in the second tallest tower of the Underworld castle Hades and Trista were dining by candlelight.

"Shame Cerebrus can't have any," Trista remarked.

Hades replied in his deep, dark voice, "It's not that he can't; he prefers catching the beasts over eating them. He is satisfied with the bones."

"Hmm…" was all Trista could say. _This is slightly awkward,_ she thought. _A dinner, silence, candlelight…_

A knock echoed through the room. "I thought I told you not to disturb me," Hades growled.

The door opened, reveling Kito, Hades's assistant. He bowed. "Sorry, sir, but you have a visitor. He insisted on seeing you and would not take no for an answer."

Trista looked at Hades. "Who would come to see you?"

Hades sighed. "I have a feeling I might know whom…did he say his name?"

Kito shook his head. "Just said that you two go way back."

Hades muttered a curse. "Figures," he said. "I'm sorry Trista, but my brother doesn't know good manners."

"Your brother?" Trista asked.

"Yes, Charon. He guards the very gate of the Underworld itself. You don't see him because you use your time-space door to get here, so you bypass his gate."

"Yes," a new voice replied, cold and demeaning. "I must say, it is rather irritating." The voice came from a man behind Kito, about Hades's height, with the same dark green hair and velvet red eyes. "It's been so long," the man continued. "Perhaps you have forgotten my rules?"

A bit of the memories were coming back to her. What she remembers about him, however, weren't very pleasant. Hades interrupted her thoughts. "Charon, would you at least like some dinner? We can pretend to be civilized for once, can't we? It's only been…"

"957 years and 26 days? Not that anyone's counting…" Charon replied. "Sure, why not dinner?"

"Kito?" Hades inquired.

The man bowed. "Yes, sir." He ran downstairs.

"I meant to ask you something anyways, Charon," Hades said.

"Oh really?" Charon replied as he sat down.

"Yeah—a couple days ago we had a breach of defense here. Dragons were about to escape to the other world. Your old buddy the Grim Reaper tried to destroy the Scouts. Now why is that? And why were they almost successful? Were you not guarding the gates?"

Charon shrugged his shoulders. "The Grim Reaper has his own ways—I do not pretend to know what he is always doing." Hades kept staring at him. "It's been quite some time since he and I conversed, actually. I knew there was some sort of commotion, but by the time I knew what was going on, everything was already chaotic. You have to remember, I have five gates to guard, not just the main one. Any of the dragons could have escaped through the other four. I'm just surprised it didn't happen earlier."

"Five?" Trista inquired.

"You really should explore the Underworld a lot better," chided Charon. "After all, it is your duty. Perhaps I can give you a tour…"

"That won't be necessary," interrupted Hades. Perhaps he remembered, too, Charon's previous behavior. "Leave her alone. I was planning to give her a full tour soon, when the business slowed down and all. It was busy earlier because of the Reaper. And back to my original point—guarding all of the gates has never been a problem for you before."

Before Charon could answer this, however, Kito had returned with dinner, and Charon began to eat quickly and rather messily. Hades rolled his eyes.

Ignoring Charon's obnoxious eating habits, Trista asked Hades, "Where are the other five river gates? I only know the Stix Gate."

"Yes, that's the main one, since all of the souls come through that Gate. The other two are like backdoor or secret passageways. They are actually supposed to be closed off, but when a soul dies unexpectedly, they come through one of those gates accidentally. The rivers go like this—" Hades began to draw a small map with a nearby scroll and pen from a desk in the room.

**_A/N: .com/albums/n308/moonlight_duchess/?action=view¤t;=_**

Trista nodded. "Oh, ok. So the two arcs across the top, those must be…"

"The Lethe river on the left and the Acheron river on the right. The Lethe river, the river of lamentation, leads to heaven and goes around it. The Acheron river, the river of woe, leads to hell and goes around it. The river in the middle, of course, is the Stix river. The bottom left river is the Cocytus river, the river of forgetfulness. Souls who have been forgotten before they have died are said to roam here. The bottom right river is the Phlegethon, the river of fire. That is where the dragons were born. The boxes you see are the gates—one for each river."

"That's all very fascinating, Hades, but I'm sure Trista would like to see it for herself," suggested Charon.

Hades stated coldly, "I believe I can handle it, thank you."

"Okay, then," Charon replied. He rose, having finished his dinner. "It was good to see you, I suppose—you need to get out more often, though. Learn a little more about greeting your guests and such."

"Look who's talking," Hades barked.

Charon ignored his brother. He bent over to Trista, took her hand, and kissed it. "And it was lovely meeting you again, my dear. Try to stop by the gate every once in a while, all right?"

Not knowing what to say, Trista just nodded. Charon smiled as he turned around and walked out the door.

****************************************************************************************************

Later that night, Trista paced in her quarters.

_Well, so much for a romantic night,_ Trista thought irritably. _I suppose I should inquire Fate as to when a good night would be._

She was beginning to remember more and more about Charon, and the more she remembered, the more she didn't like him.

__________________________

**He had been almost the same perfect gentleman that Hades was, a long time ago. Then something changed him. He began to be distant and spiteful. He ruled the Underworld with an iron fist, torturing souls as he pleased. He rode a great golden dragon, with red eyes and a spiked tail. When the Silver Millennium came to an end, he led the charge to destroy the moon. Most people mistook him as Hades, however, and threatened to kill Hades. When the truth was revealed that Charon was the one behind the attacks, the attitude towards Hades did not change. They believed he was as evil as his brother.**

**Trista went to Charon, sent as a last resort to make him change his ways. He agreed, but wanted a simple kiss from her. She had given in, simply because she was naive and knew no better. He tried to take full advantage of her then—until Hades rescued her. He had been walking through that particular part of the castle (she suspected he was spying on his brother) and fought him for her honor.**

**Hades won, and thereby also won the title of the King of the Underworld. Charon was demoted, and from that time forth, Charon resented his brother.**

**It was a sad little history, but that was the way things were.**

**_____________________________________________**

**A/N: Link is in the story now. Copy and paste link to see the map.  
**


	4. Chapter 4 Oracle

As Trista came down the spiral staircase from the tower she lived in, she noticed across the hallway a woman with long, silky silver hair that reached the floor. This woman wore a scout outfit like she did, only with a longer skirt and smooth silver fabric. Her ribbons were made of see-through chiffon, and her eyes were a dominating grey. The woman, noticing Trista, turned to her and smiled. "Ah, it was about time we met, Sailor Pluto."

"And you are…?"

When the woman spoke, it came out slowly but soundly, as if every word she said was sacred. There was a kind of echoing effect to her voice as well. "I am Oracle, Sailor Oracle to be precise. I am the eye of the past, the present, the future. I see things that you perhaps have seen, but have not imagined the true meaning of. And I'm probably the only one besides Fate who knows your true age," answered the woman.

Pluto cringed. Her age was a rather embarrassing thing to talk about, especially as she was already older than most of the scouts. Trying to be polite, she replied, "It is nice to make your acquaintance, Sailor Oracle."

Oracle nodded. "And I must be going now, for I have to converse with Fate herself. Seems there is an interesting twist to things going on in the future."

"Such as?" Pluto asked.

"Things that I cannot say as of yet. Should I say something, your entire future would actually diminish, for you would probably choose a different path. You must remember, my dear, that things happen for a reason, and the choices you make cannot be changed. Fate and I know what is in your heart—you must follow it, despite what others say, for your very future lies at stake. Now that is all I can say—I must be going now." And with that hint, Oracle departed swiftly for Fate's tower.

_That was a strange conversation_, Pluto thought. _What on Earth could possibly happen right now?_

**A/N: I wanted to keep this one short because it's an entire chapter dedicated to Oracle herself. Plus, it's enough of a tease for you to keep reading, right?**

**Thanks to all who have reviewed! I continue this story only for your benefit, though I've liked the way it's turned out so far.**


	5. Chapter 5 The Wine

If she and Hades had been on Earth, it would have been evening. Instead, it was another continuous dark night in the Underworld, and Trista made her way to Hades's suite. He had a large room in the back of the castle, fixed with trimming of skulls and garnets. The doors to his room were majestic and ancient, with old-fashioned handles made of pure silver. She walked to his door and knocked. Opening it, Hades appeared. "Ah, dear Trista, you do not have to knock. Do come in."

This was a strange thing to do, but Trista felt it necessary after speaking with Oracle. She had never been in a man's room before. Inside was a four-poster bed with magnificent drapes of deep maroon. In the corner there appeared to be some sort of washroom or something, and a mirror, large and ornate with garnets, peeked from this corner.

"Do you like it?" Hades thundered into her observation.

"It's very elegant," she replied. She turned to him, her eyes full of worry. "I spoke with Oracle."

"Ah, well, no wonder you seem preoccupied. Perhaps I can offer you some wine?"

Trista nodded. "Sure."

"Please, sit down." Hades gestured towards a red velvet couch behind her. He then walked to a stone table near his bed and gathered two glasses, filling them with deep red wine. After he finished filling them, he came over to Trista and offered her a glass. She accepted it, with a nod of thanks. Sighing, she sipped the wine. "So you spoke with Oracle? Do not fret over what she has to say, dear Trista. She only means well, and is mysterious by nature."

"I figured that, but I have to wonder if Fate and Oracle know really what's best for all of us. I mean, they couldn't see the last time someone tried to take over."

"They are not infallible. However, they are the best we have. Should we lose our faith in them, their power would diminish and be no more."

Trista nodded, sipping more wine. _Goodness, this stuff is strong_, she thought. She needed something strong right now though. Looking at Hades and seeing his strength—well, if she didn't know better, she would say she was turned on by how powerful her Lord was. She tried to shake that thought from her head though, hoping Hades didn't notice her checking him out. "I just worry about the future. I only saw certain parts of it, and am unsure about the rest."

Hades put a hand on her shoulder, while Trista tried to control herself from not reaching out to him. "Dear Trista, it will be all right. Things do happen for a reason, and things are said for a reason. You should know that by now, having been in the Underworld and all."

She just nodded, not knowing what to say. Sipping more wine, she began to feel a little tired. "I should really go turn in," she sighed.

"No, not yet," Hades pleaded. "I like your company, and you being in my room of all places—it's rather unusual and probably won't happen again anytime soon."

"True," she said, feeling bolder because of the wine. "What, then, do you propose?"

"I propose to love you," Hades whispered.

"Ah, you do? Are you sure you want me, a woman with great power and with an age far beyond yours?"

"How old are you exactly?"

Trista giggled. "That's none of your business."

"Oh really? I'll find out. I know your one weakness."

"And what's that?"

Hades leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. It was a short, simple kiss, but it was enough to make Trista even more drunk. Now she felt she couldn't contain herself anymore, and kissed him back with more passion. They both dropped their glasses and wrapped their arms around one another, feeling every part of each other there was.

_This is going to be a long night_, Trista thought.


	6. Chapter 6 Return to Earth

Trista woke up in a haven of soft red sheets, like she was sleeping on air. She slowly realized it was not her regular bed, and she turned her head to the man next to her. Hades was sleeping soundly, the most vulnerable she had ever seen him. It then dawned on her that neither one of them were wearing clothes.

She tried to take a few breaths and figure out what happened. She remembered the wine, but it had only been half a glass. Unless…Reveriend. Reveriend wine was very powerful, very strong wine, brewed over thousands of years. She now remembered that was Hades's favorite, and it was his usual poison. How could she forget so much? Her judgment had been clouded—but still, there was no excuse.

Trista had broken a single rule that night that she knew would forever haunt her. Slowly getting up from the bed and finding her clothes by candlelight, she snuck out of the room and headed to the portal that would take her home.

If she hadn't woken up where she did, she would not have believed it was real. Trista knew there were consequences for her actions, and it was forbidden some time ago for the Lord of the Underworld and any of the scouts to fall in love. She had fallen in love anyway with Hades, and had allowed herself to be vulnerable. Going to his room—she had practically offered herself to him. He must have figured she wanted it, and the wine was just the push to get her into his bed.

She had returned to Earth. She had run from what she had done, at least until things were cooled off.

Now she was pissed at both him and herself. Trista's thoughts were all swirling together, but one thing was clear: she couldn't go back. There was no going back after this.

None of the others could know yet. Hopefully Hades would understand and not try to follow her. He knew the rules of the Underworld just as well as anyone else. Yet he broke them too.

Changing into her civilian clothes, Trista thought about the previous night. She remembered flashes of passion, rhythm, movement, sweat, saliva, love. She shook her head, trying to keep a calm composure. The last thing she needed was for the others to notice how hot and bothered she was. The return to Earth was going to appear as a visit, for Trista knew perhaps at some point she would have to face destiny.

Trista took a deep breath and exited her room. It was a good feeling to be back, though—now that she had been given back the trust that she thought she had lost in Michelle and Amara. _Little Hotaru must be at school,_ she mused—it was about noon and no one was in the apartment. She took a look at the calendar—December 23rd. Goodness, Christmas was soon. Trista wasn't all for the religion stuff, but she liked the idea of a holiday for giving. This meant Hotaru wasn't at school—she must be shopping with Michelle and Amara. At least Trista could figure out where they went. _I should probably do a little shopping myself,_ she thought. _It was be rude to return and not have some sort of gift for such a holiday._

Trista returned to her room to grab her purse, dusty from lack of use, and exited the apartment.

Downtown was a shopper's nightmare. People were everywhere, in long lines, in shops, in the streets, all trying to finish their last minute shopping .Trista shivered at the thought of what the next day would be like.

She made her way to her favorite shop and stood in line to get in. It was almost tempting to stop time, grab all of the items she needed, and get to the register before anyone else. Trista figured she had broken enough of the rules as it was; stopping time would be senseless and selfish.

She looked to her right beyond a mass of people and saw a narrow alleyway. Something in her gut made her feel drawn to it. _How silly, I don't even know what's in there, _she thought. She felt someone familiar there. _One of the girls?_

Then she saw him. Whether he didn't see her or didn't recognize her, it didn't matter. Charon was on the Earth. Now what was he doing here, she wondered. He's supposed to be guarding the gate…maybe now I can tell Hades where he really has been. But at the thought of Hades, Trista's heart cringed and she fought back the tears. She wished she could be with him, but knew she was forbidden to do so. The Queen would be ashamed of her.

_Dear Serenity, I'm so sorry_, Trista thought quietly. _I wish things could be different. But how do you stop love?_

_**You don't**_**,** a voice answered her.

_Fate?_

_**Correct as always. You can't stop love, and you can't run from your mistakes. Oracle tried to warn you, in her own way.**_

Oh. That explained a lot_. Well, what should I do?_

_**Return soon. You will know by then**__._

_Will I?_

_**Of course. Be safe, dear Trista. I saw what you saw, and I know Charon is up to something.**_

_Okay, I will keep an eye out. _

Silence. Fate must have severed the connection. Trista sighed._ If only she told me how long this shopping was going to take me…_

_**Four hours, seventeen minutes, and thirty seconds.**_

Trista rolled her eyes. _Gee thanks._


	7. Chapter 7 Confrontations

Damn Christmas shopping. At least it was all over. Trista sighed as she took out her keys and unlocked her apartment. When she came in, she found Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru all sitting on the couch, looking like they had been frightened.

Michelle let out a sigh of relief. "We thought you were a burglar," she said.

Trista smirked. "Nope, just me." She closed the door behind her and went to her room to hide the gifts.

"So what made you come back?" asked Amara.

Returning from her room, Trista answered, "I missed you guys. That's all. Aren't we all family? You're supposed to be with family during the holidays."

Trista could tell her little lie didn't fool Hotaru, though the young girl kept silent. There was a look on her face though that suggested she would talk to Trista herself later.

"Well, help yourself, Trista. We made enough dinner for all four of us. I'm afraid I'm not used to cooking for only three people," Michelle admitted.

Trista bowed her head. "Thank you."

She was certainly home again.

**********************************************************************************

"Hades!" An angry scout stormed through the castle, searching for the Lord of the Underworld.

"I'm right here, Fate, what's the matter?"

The calm Hades only seemed to infuriate Fate even more. "You know perfectly what's the matter! You and Trista!"

Hades raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you didn't see it coming."

Fate scrunched up her face. "I know that. It's just…bah, never mind. We have bigger issues on our hands. I saw, and Trista confirmed, that Charon was on land."

"He's on Earth?"

"Yes. I don't see what he's up to yet…I've been rather busy as of late. I might even have to call Trista back if Murphy gets too out of control."

Hades chuckled. "Can't keep that boy in line, can you?"

Fate glared at him. "You know he's a mischievous little devil. I swear he must be working for Satan himself right now." She heaved a quick sigh. "But you and I…we need to talk. There's going to be a lot of changes in the next year for you and Trista."

"Like what?" Hades asked curiously.

"Well, I'd hate to see the two of you upset at each other like this. You really shouldn't be upset with her at all—after all, you did get to sleep with her. She's upset because …well, you need to talk to her too. I know when to stay out of things. Let things as they may go, but do not forget to stay true to yourself," Fate answered mysteriously. "Now…I must be going. Karma! We've got work to do!" The scout ran upstairs and was joined by her partner as she entered her tower.

Hades stared after her. He was used to Fate being mysterious, but something was up. She knew something was going to happen—perhaps Oracle had let her in on the secret. Whatever it was, it was important.

He stared out the stained-glass window, hoping Trista would return soon.

**************************************************************************************

Christmas came and went, with a huge party at the arcade in town. Trista was happy to spend time with everyone. Even Small Lady had come from the future to visit. It was a nice surprise, and good times were had all around.

Trista was also glad to have some time alone to sort out her thoughts for Hades. Hotaru had yet to confront her about what she was hiding, but she was sure it would be soon.

It was early in the morning, the day after Christmas. She rubbed her stomach, almost expecting the cramps that came this time of month. _Stupid womanly thing, _she reflected. She was surprised to find, however, that she wasn't having her period. _Weird_, she thought. _Oh well, maybe it's a day or two late. _Trista shrugged it off, not thinking too deeply about it.

Going back into her room, she found Hotaru waiting for her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Ah," Trista simply said, before sitting next to her.

Hotaru cleared her throat. "What's _really_ going on, Trista? You and I both know you can't lie to me very well."

Trista smiled with a nod. "I know, dear. You see…it's complicated."

"There's nothing complicated about love."

Trista was startled. "What makes you think—"

Hotaru giggled. "It's written all over you. So, who's the guy? Is it Hades? He's rather handsome, you know."

_Yes, I do know_, Trista deemed. "It is. I'm rather surprised you can figure all this out, Hotaru. Have you told the others?"

"No. It's not their business, yet. I'm just worried. You seemed to have a connection with him when we were battling the dragons, but since this last return, you look like you've lost your best friend. Did something happen? Do I need to get my glaive and—"

"Don't finish that thought," Trista threatened. She sighed. "Something did happen. You're right—and I've been avoiding admitting the truth to someone—I've fallen in love."

"Well, isn't that great?"

"Not really," Trista admitted. "You see, we're not supposed to fall in love."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Isn't that always the case…what about Serenity and Endymion? They weren't supposed to fall in love…and look at them now!"

_True. She has a point,_ Trista thought. _Maybe Serenity is the one I need to talk to about this situation._ She felt such a bond to Hotaru, though—like she could trust her with any secret, with any burden. It was a strange thing, but Trista just chalked it up to her parental acting skills. "Perhaps you're right, Hotaru. I just need some time to think it out."

"Okay. Just be careful Trista. I don't want to see you hurt."

The older woman smiled. "Thank you."

Hotaru nodded, hopped off the bed, and went to her room, leaving Trista alone with her thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8 A Blessing

Trista knocked on the Tsukino residence. A shorter blonde girl with twin buns answered the door. "Trista! Hey, it's good to see you. Come in, we're baking cookies!"

"Mmmm…what kind of cookies, Serena?" Trista asked.

"Chocolate chip with almond."

"Sounds delicious." They both walked to the kitchen, where Serena pulled out a tray of freshly baked cookies.

"You've got timing. They just finished."

_Haha, she's telling me I have timing,_ Trista thought. That's ironic. She and Serena put the cookies on a plate and went into the living room.

"So, what brings you over?" Serena asked, cramming a whole cookie in her mouth. Her eyes bulged at the hotness of the cookie, and she said, "Brrr rit buck." A moment later, she returned with a glass of milk and a relieved face. "Sorry about that. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk with you about something," answered Trista.

"Ooh, a serious conversation. With me? Wow," remarked Serena.

Trista nodded. "I actually wanted to talk with you about Darien. To be more specific, when you fell in love."

Serena looked at her in surprise. "Ummm….okay. What do you want to know?"

"Falling in love…what's it like?" Trista waited breathlessly for an answer.

Serena blinked her eyes. "Well, it's hard to explain. I guess…it's this feeling, in your heart, when you're with someone. You feel at first like you can't live without the other person, like a drug. Then you realize that you can be apart, even though you don't want to be. The best part is the butterflies when you see the other person. I remember that feeling Darien gave me whenever we first went out—I was absolutely ecstatic. We've been together for a while, though, and despite the fact we may not act as romantic as before, we'd still do anything for each other."

"Including saving each others' lives," Trista added.

"Yeah. Love is…the most beautiful thing in this world. I think everyone should experience love at some point." Trista nodded. She had felt similar feelings, and was glad she wasn't alone. "Trista…why did you want to know? Are you…in love?" Serena asked.

"I think so," replied Trista. "I've felt the same about a certain someone."

"Ooh, who?"

Trista looked at her friend. "His name is Hades."

"Oh, that guy that was in the Underworld with us? Awesome. I'm happy for you, Trista. Are you going to get married?"

"I think it's a bit soon to think about that," Trista said. "But we do care for each other…I think."

Serena shook her head. "There's no thinking when it comes to love. You either know or you don't. You just might not admit it to yourself, but others can tell when you're around that special someone."

_I can't believe I'm getting love advice from her of all people,_ Trista commented to herself. _She knows what she's talking about, though. _Trista admired her future queen for her love, if nothing else. Serena had the capacity to love anyone and everyone, with no hesitation whatsoever. "Well, I know I love him, Serena. I just hope he cares the same in return. We're not supposed to even be in love at all—"

"No, you're not," interrupted Luna. The feline walked into the room, studying Trista. "It was forbidden for the scouts to fall in love with anyone from the Underworld."

"I know," said Trista. "But sometimes, you can't fight what was meant to be."

Luna sat in front of her. "Did Fate tell you this?"

Trista stared at her. "She didn't have to. I'm sure she and Oracle knew what was going to happen, and they let it happen anyway."

"No, you let it happen. You didn't care about the consequences. Remember the last time you broke the rules?" Luna chided.

"Yes, I died. But you know as well as I that it was necessary that time. I had to stop time, so Small Lady could be saved."

"Who's Oracle?" Serena asked.

Luna replied, "I'll tell you later. Trista, I just hope you know what you're doing. Serenity never gave a blessing for you and the Lord of the Underworld to be together."

"I can, though, can't I? I am the ruling power, or at least, the heir to the throne of Crystal Tokyo," Serena declared. "Certainly I would be able to do that. Everyone should fall in love Luna. Imagine if you and Artemis weren't allowed to be together."

Luna looked down. "I suppose you're right, Princess. I just hope you know rules were made for a reason."

"Yeah, to be broken." Luna glared at her. "Just kidding, Luna. Okay, Trista—by the power invested in me, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and future queen of Crystal Tokyo, I allow you to be with Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and to live in love for the rest of your life. May you both be happy as long as you live and know what true love is really like."

Trista sat, shocked. This is happening a bit too quickly, she thought. She bowed her head, though, in thankfulness for Serenity's blessing. "Thank you," Trista said.

"Anytime. Now, are you going to eat these cookies or what?"

Trista giggled. "Of course."

***************************

It was good to catch up with a friend. The whole visit made Trista happier, having confirmed that she really cared about Hades.

She was in her apartment when she heard the voice again.

_**Trista?**_

_Fate?_ Trista rolled her eyes.

_**Don't you roll your eyes at me. I'm having a bit of trouble with Murphy and Karma's really busy at the moment. Can you help?**_

_Who's Murphy?_

_**My twin brother. Ever heard of Murphy's Law? Yeah, he started that. He's my opposite, basically. Where I try to do some good, he does pranks and awful things. He's really aggravating this one college couple. They haven't gotten any breaks all semester. They no more get all of their assignments done, sacrifice personal time and everything—then he starts on them again, ten times worse than before. I'm tired of watching these kids suffer at his handiwork.**_

_Okay, where do I need to go?_

_**America. They're an American couple. I'll give you the address and everything if you'll return.**_

Trista lowered her head. _Okay then. I'll be there soon._

******************************************

Standing on a tall building in her Scout uniform, Sailor Pluto surveyed the area. Green hills, old brick buildings—it was a beautiful and interesting campus. For some reason, this college seems to worship the bulldog, whatever that meant.

To her right, she saw a man with long brown hair, dressed in a black coat that went to his ankles, with combat boots and black gloves. He seemed to fit Fate's description. Pluto observed him for several minutes. He wandered around, giggling to himself, and holding his hands out in different directions. He hid himself behind a tree as a car parked in a handicapped spot. "We're only going to be here for a second, Henry," a girl said as she exited the passenger seat of the vehicle. "I just need to grab something from my dorm."

"Okay," a boy begrudgingly agreed. He turned off the vehicle and went inside with the girl.

As Pluto watched, Murphy aimed his power at a police station on campus. No more than ten seconds later, a cop came around the corner and spotted the car parked illegally. He whipped out his ticket pad, scribbled on it, and stuck it on the front of the vehicle, then walked away.

_Jeez, don't these people ever get a break? It was only for a minute,_ Pluto thought as she watched the couple return from the dorm. After hearing the boy curse, she decided to track Murphy. Jumping down from the building, she found Murphy hiding behind a bush, ready to strike the couple again. "Murphy."

She apparently startled him, for he fell back on the ground. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Underworld and of the Gate of Time. I have been sent here by Fate to end this madness."

"Ah, figures Sister would send someone like you. I usually see Karma though; she's much cuter than you. Where is she?"

Pluto raised an eyebrow. "Not here, apparently. Now Murphy, you've been given warnings and all sorts of chances to make things right. You haven't—and therefore, I must punish you."

"Hehe, yeah right." Murphy smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

"Very well then. Chronos Typhoon!"

"Ahhhh!" Murphy screamed like a little girl as the winds from Pluto's attack twisted him around. "Okay, okay, I'll behave! Jeez."

"Don't make me come after you again," Pluto threatened.

"Gotcha." Murphy collapsed on the ground.

Turning around, Pluto called forth the portal that took her back to the underworld.

*******************************************************************

"Ah, you're back," replied a relieved Sailor Fate as Sailor Pluto stepped out of the portal into the tower.

"Yes," replied Pluto. "I believe your brother is a bit of a coward, if I may say so myself."

Fate nodded. "Yes, I know. Poor boy needs some guidance. I've been trying to get him back to the Underworld, but to no avail. He's too full of mischief."

Pluto asked, "Does he like Karma?"

"Ah, he likes to torture her the most. I think it's because he has a crush on her, but she would rather be single."

"Yeah, he was disappointed to see me instead of her."

"I'm not surprised."

Pluto smiled. "Is that all?"

"Yes. And now, if I'm timed this correctly, you have a meeting with Hades."

"When?"

There was a knock on the door. "Now," replied Fate.

**************************************

**A/N: The college couple that Murphy likes to torture is my fiancé and me. I swear, he stalks us! Lol...College is so hard…**

**Anyways, I have the rest of the story planned out, I just have to type it all. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9 Proposal

**A/N: I know, I know, I'm way overdue for a chapter. Now I finally have internet at my apt so I should be set to finish this story soon. Definitely posting more than one chapter today. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

*********************************

Sailor Pluto gulped. She had never been so nervous before…to face the man she left…the man she loved…the one who held her heart in the balance.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, open the door, Trista," Fate hissed.

Pluto looked at the other scout, then headed to open the door. "Ah, Trista," spoke Hades. He looked relieved. "I am glad to see you back."

"I had to run an errand for Fate."

"That's good." He smiled. There was an awkward pause. "Ah, well, would you like to—"

"Yes," Sailor Pluto interrupted, taking him by the arm and going downstairs. Hades seemed pleasantly surprised by her haste, but she really wanted to have this conversation away from Fate. It was bad enough that woman could read her mind—she wanted Fate to stop giving her relationship advice through her thoughts.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the couple turned and walked through the great hall. No one else was around, except for Kito, Amarina, and Maggie dashing through, completing their chores, acknowledging Hades every so often. Hades waved at his servants, then turned to Pluto. "I assume you want to talk?"

_Not that I want to, I have to_, thought Pluto. She sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea when I left the other day."

Hades waved it off. "I understand. I figured that I had gone too far, perhaps?"

This reminded Trista of something. "That wine was a bit strong…"

"It's not the wine's fault. Come now, we're both adults—you more so than me. I had no idea you were so old…"

She raised her eyebrow. "I told you?"

"Yes. I think it's quite remarkable—2,000 years! Not that there's anything wrong with that," Hades quickly said. "I never did get how you got to be that age, though. Isn't the Silver Millenium a thousand years ago?"

Trista nodded. "But I stood at the Time-Space gate for such a long time…I was able to watch the history of the Earth as it took place. I could watch through the door different periods of time and different places, and I would never age. No one stepped into the gate until Crystal Tokyo appeared and Small Lady came to see me…"

"Small Lady? Crystal Tokyo?" Hades looked confused.

"The future, my Lord. When our Princess Serena grows up, she will become Neo-Queen Serenity and rule what will be known as Crystal Tokyo. Her daughter, Rini, is also known to me as Small Lady. Anyways, that was far in the future. Also, I did not go to Earth until I realized there was an issue with the time-space continuum—and it was at this point I realized that someone was searching for the talismans. That was when I decided to leave my post and protect our princess on Earth in her time."

"Sounds quite fascinating. You'll have to tell me more about the future sometime. Tell me this, though—let us be on subject here—your age does not bother you, does it?"

"Not really, considering—"

Hades held up his hand. "Then what else prevents you from being with me?"

Pluto stared at him and sighed. "It was a decree by Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium. I know not the reason yet—and not sure if I do. I know this much is true, though; I love you. And I won't leave you." Hades looked too stunned to speak, so she continued. "I've decided to make this place my home. I hope that does not bother you?" she inquired.

Hades broke into a kind smile. "Of course, my dear. In fact…that brings me to something…" He turned to see Fate coming down the stairs behind them with a small box that fit in the palm of her hand. She gave the small box to Hades. "Ah, thank you, Fate."

Sailor Fate smiled and bowed. "But of course, my Lord. I would not miss this for anything—and I am certainly not going to watch this through my crystal ball."

"What's going on?" Pluto asked.

Hades turned back to Pluto, took her hands in his, and got down on one knee. With love in his earnest eyes, he spoke, "Trista, love of my life and light of my soul, will you complete my heart and marry me?"

Her jaw dropped. _I certainly was not expecting this—and Fate's in on this! What should I say?_

_**Say yes already**_, Fate whispered with a smirk.

Trista looked at Hades, and said the one word that would change her life forever: "Yes."


	10. Chapter 10 Revelation

She couldn't believe it. Trista could not imagine that she was doing anything but dreaming—but she was not. She was engaged to her true love. The thought of it filled her and carried her through the next several months as she spent time in the Underworld, preparing for a wonderful marriage and wedding.

Fate had blessed them, though she warned that their path would not be an easy one. "Since Serenity has seen fit to bless you, I supposed I shall too," she had said. "Take this warning though; there will be those who oppose the consequences of your love—consequences that have taken place before this proposal itself. Be ready to face your opposition and show them that you have what it takes to pull this off."

Thinking back on these words, Trista felt a small chill go down her back. She wondered what exactly Fate meant.

One day, it dawned on her. Why hadn't she seen it before? But of course, she had been so busy and forgetful that she had not noticed at first. Trista made her way to the tower of Fate. Before she even knocked, Fate opened the door with a knowing look on her face. "Come in," she said quietly.

"How long have you known?" demanded Trista.

"Honestly, I would have thought you would have figured it out by now." Fate calmly replied.

"You lied to me!"

"It is not polite to barge to one's tower and ask why they have withheld information."

Trista growled, "I think I had a right to know."

Fate walked to Trista and they stood not an inch apart. "I do not have to tell you everything about your future. You were the Guardian of Time—surely you knew this was coming."

"No I did not!"

"Well, it is not my fault. I warned you."

"Because you knew! Whatever shall I do?" a crying Trista asked.

Fate put her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "You can handle this. That much I know, without even looking into the future."

"This makes things much more difficult, you realize."

"And I bet Hades doesn't even know."

"Not yet."

"Ah, but he will. He has a right to."

"I just can't believe this has happened…" Trista began to breathe very fast.

"Now, now, just calm down. Your emotions are already becoming unstable. You must not let them control you." Fate led her companion to a chair. "Sit," she ordered. "Amarina!" A minute later, the black-haired servant girl appeared at the tower door. "Will you please get dear Trista a washcloth to keep her cool?"

"Yes, madam." Amarina bowed and exited the room.

"Look, Trista. You must be more careful from now on."

"A little late for that…" Trista muttered thickly.

"Love blinds us all."

A moment later, Sailor Karma warped inside of the tower. "Reporting for duty, Miss Fate," she said with a salute. Seeing the tears upon Trista's face, Karma stepped back. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? What's wrong, Trista? Did Hades hurt you?"

"Hades would never hurt me," Trista replied quickly.

"Then what's wrong?" asked the concerned scout.

Sooner or later she was going to have to admit it. "I'm pregnant."


	11. Chapter 11 The Wedding Reception

_Why me_, Trista cried. It didn't seem fair—why was she being punished this way? _All it took was that one night,_ she thought miserably. _Hopefully he'll still want to marry me._

She sat in her tower, thinking of what this baby would bring._ Surely_, Trista considered, _this happened for a reason. Perhaps the baby's birth will be the start of something new. It must be a vital person for Fate to prevent me from knowing for so long about it._

She heard a knock on her door. Drying her eyes with the washcloth Amarina had brought her, Trista called out, "Come in."

The door opened with a concerned Hades behind it. "Trista? Are you alright?"

She sniffed. "Nothing."

"You cannot lie to me, Trista. I can see it in your eyes. What is wrong?"

She stared into her lover's cold eyes. "I…um…well, it's a strange thing…but I have to know—are you going to marry me, no matter what?"

Hades seemed taken aback. "Well, of course, my dear. Now tell me, what is the matter?"

Trista took a deep breath. "We're going to have a baby."

Hades raised his eyebrows. "How wonderful!"

"We're not married."

"Oh yeah. Well, we can remedy that in almost no time. I think perhaps you should return to the upper world and tell your friends. Perhaps I can convince Fate to allow us to be married in your world. She has not let me go up there in the longest time…"

"I don't know. I mean…I wanted a small wedding, nothing too fancy."

"But your friends…surely they would want to witness this."

"True," spoke Trista thoughtfully.

***************************************************

Fate was known for making small allowances for people who wanted to do something out of the ordinary. She was not known for choosing favorites—in her opinion, everyone was the same and they all had their own decisions to make in life.

There are still exceptions, though, as this time was such one. Allowing the temporary transport of Hades to the live world of Earth was an unusual request, but one she granted in lieu of telling Trista her destiny.

It was a small ceremony, with only the scouts present. Serena, of course, was excited to have her own wedding date, while the rest of the girls looked at her and Darien with envy (with the exception of Michelle and Amara, of course). Trista wore a dark green dress, feeling that wearing white at this time would be inappropriate. Hades was dressed in a black tailor-made suit (helped by Kito and Amarina, his servants).

Fate was there herself, though only a shadow to watch the wedding itself. She seemed satisfied with the way things were proceeding, and left to return to her tower, watching the lives of others through her orb.

During the reception, Hotaru approached Trista. "I'm so happy for you, Trista. I know you're going to be very happy."

"Thank you, Hotaru. That's very sweet of you."

"I also know what else you're hiding."

_Smart child. But how could she know?_ "Please, if you do know, let's not discuss it here," Trista pleaded.

Hotaru nodded. "I know. Just don't be afraid, Trista." She put her hand on Trista's stomach and smiled. "It's a girl."

Trista took the young girl's hand off her stomach. "Please. Later." Trista was trying not to think of the responsibility and the secret of the child. She vaguely wondered if it would be a sailor scout one day, especially since Hotaru's pronouncement that it was a girl.

Hades came over to her. "Strange," he remarked. "My brother didn't show up. Fate said he was allowed to watch the festivities."

"Perhaps he felt he was needed elsewhere," replied Trista. The location of Hades' brother did not concern her—her mind was still on the baby.

He noticed she was distracted. "Ah, my dear Trista—you have made me the happiest man in the world of the living and the dead. Do not fret for what is to come, for we will face it together."

She smiled, remembering exactly why she married him.

"Hey Trista," called out Michelle. She walked over to the bride. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," replied the blushing bride.

"Don't take offense to this—but have you gained weight? They must feed you well in the Underworld…"

Trista wanted to do a facepalm in the middle of the room.

****************************************************************************************************

There was no honeymoon for the couple, for the two of them felt that they had all the privacy they needed in the huge castle and they both had to return to their duties.

"Ah, it's so good to be home," Hades said as he and Trista strode through the castle doors.

Trista replied, "You know, I was supposed to only make visits to the underworld, but now I'm only making visits to the Earth."

"Yes. Isn't it strange how things work out?" Hades headed towards the large hall. He stopped when he realized Trista wasn't walking with him anymore. He looked at her with an understanding look on his face. "You miss them, don't you? Your friends, I mean."

She nodded. "Yes. I know we just returned though…but being with them reminds me of the old days."

Hades took her hands into his. "You can go anytime you want. Just stay with me for a little while."

Trista smiled and looked into her husband's eyes. "Thank you."

"Of course. Now, we should make some arrangements for our little newcomer."

Why did everyone want to talk about the baby when she didn't?


	12. Chapter 12 Amara & Michelle's Rejection

**A/N: Soleil is pronounced "So-lay".**

***************************************************************************************************************************

It had been a few months since the wedding. The bump on Trista's belly was now large enough to ignore no longer. She and Hades had prepared a room for the little one near their own and had gifts for the baby spread throughout the room.

Naming her, though, proved to be the most difficult task.

"I still think we should call her Odessa," Hades said. He and Trista were sitting at the edge of the Styx River, holding hands.

"And I suggested Soleil," replied Trista. She didn't feel so worked up over the baby, though her emotions did run a little tense these days. She was excited to be arguing about names for her little girl.

"What about Setsuna?"

"No, how about Mariela?"

"Or Penelope?"

"I like that name. What about Athena?"

Hades shook his head. "Xenia, perhaps?"

"No. Maybe Charis? Like your brother's name?"

"No way. What about Astraea?"

Trista shook her head. "If we keep going like this, she's never going to have a name," she remarked.

"Oh don't worry. I'm sure you can look at her and think of the perfect name. It's hard to think of one without knowing what she'll look like. What about Psyche?"

"Evinity?"

"No. I like the name Selena."

"A bit similar to my queen's name. What about Electra?"

"Hmm, perhaps. Maybe Delia?"

"No way." Trista sighed.

"Well, we can't keep calling her 'it' or 'her'."

"I know. I just…can't find the right name right now."

"Well, you still have time. Why don't you make a little trip up to Earth? Surely your friends can help you find some feminine name."

She nodded. "Perhaps so. You don't need me to help you down here?"

Hades stared at her stomach. "I want you to rest. Don't overstrain yourself—it could be bad for the baby."

"Well, then, it looks like I'm going to go for a little trip."

"Return soon," whispered Hades, holding Trista's face close to his. "I'll miss you."

"I will," she promised.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Another trip through the portal, and Trista arrived in her old room at the apartment. She could hear Michelle and Amara laughing in the other room. Changing into normal clothes (it seemed strange to waltz around in her sailor outfit, which didn't fit right anymore thanks to a certain little bump), she exited her room and went into the living room.

"Hey!" shouted Hotaru, running into Trista's arms.

"Hi there," Trista said sweetly, happy to see her friend.

Michelle and Amara were sitting on the couch, watching a show. They turned around and were surprised to see Trista. "I kind of miss you knocking on the front door. I didn't know to expect you," remarked Michelle. "I'm happy to see you though. What's the occasion?"

Hotaru moved from in front of Trista, allowing Amara and Michelle to see the obvious bump on Trista's stomach. "Ah," Amara said. "Well, congratulations."

"Wait a minutes," said Michelle, standing up. "You're too large to have just gotten pregnant in these few months…so then…"

"…You were pregnant at the wedding," finished Amara. The two girls glared at Trista.

"And if I was?" Trista was feeling a little too confident. It didn't seem to matter anymore that she was pregnant before the wedding. It seemed to matter to Amara and Michelle, though, for they both seemed very angry with her.

Amara stated, "You filthy little whore, how could you?" Hotaru dropped her jaw. "It isn't right for you to do that."

"Oh, and it's right for one girl to be with another?" Trista had kept her mouth shut about the lesbian relationship between the two girls, but now she was angry. "What, are you two saints or something? I'm sorry, but I don't think traitors and lesbians have any right to tell me what to do. You forget what I have been through—which is a lot more than the two of you."

"Oh really?" demanded Amara.

Hotaru pleaded, "Please, don't argue. I knew she was pregnant at the wedding. Don't judge her. Please be happy."

"You knew?" asked Michelle incredulously. "How could you not tell us?"

"It's her business. I figured she would tell you when she was ready."

Amara replied, "Oh yeah, she's ready now. She had better be ready to leave—now!" She pointed a finger at the front door.

"Amara!"

"It's okay, Hotaru," said Trista sadly. _I didn't know they would take it this bad_, she thought. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"No, you won't." Michelle strode over to her. "Hotaru, Amara and I forbid you to see Trista ever again."

"But…" Hotaru cried.

Trista snapped, "That's not fair, and you know it. I've been as much of a parent as you and Amara have to her. You can't do this."

"Watch me," growled Michelle.

Amara said, "Now you had better leave, before I make you leave."

Trista glared at her. "Fine." She went to the front door and slammed it behind her. _Where to now, _she wondered_. I know, I'll go to the one person who won't judge me for anything—Serena._


	13. Chapter 13 Making Plans

Hotaru watched as Trista left the apartment. Fuming, she turned to Amara and Michelle. "That's not fair!" she protested. "Why did you make Trista leave? Why are you guys fighting?"

"It's not fair for us," Amara pointed out. "Why does she get to break the rules and marry the Lord of the Underworld while Michelle and I can't marry? Then she disgraces us with the fact that she committed adultery before her marriage! She isn't fit to be a sailor soldier, much less one who serves our precious Princess Serena."

"But—"

"But nothing. Trista has disgraced us. That child of hers will be no good to any of us," Michelle declared.

Hotaru said nothing, but wondered where Trista could have gone.

************************************************************************************************************************

"No way!" Serena exclaimed. "They kicked you out?"

Trista nodded. "I'm afraid so. All I wanted was to give them the good news and for us to figure out a name for my baby girl." She sighed, leaning back on the couch in the living room. At least Serena understood her situation and didn't judge her for what happened. It had been a good idea to come here.

"That's not fair at all." Serena sighed. "Well, I'm sure they will forgive you soon enough. They can't be mad at you forever."

Trista chuckled in spite of herself. "You don't know them like I do, no offense Princess. They can stay mad for decades if they so chose to."

Serena crossed her arms. "Well, they shouldn't prevent you from seeing Hotaru. You're right—you're like a mother to her."

Trista replied, "I know."

There was a silence, then a sudden knock at the front door. "I wonder who that could be," said Serena. "Hang on, I'll be right back." She got up and went to answer the door, leaving Trista alone with her thoughts. Hearing an excited squeal from Serena, Trista turned and looked at the visitor—who turned out to be no other than Hotaru herself.

"How did you know I was here?" Trista inquired.

"I figured there was no other place for you to go to. That, or you went back to the Underworld. I at least had to try here," answered Hotaru.

"But Amara and Michelle said—"

Hotaru interrupted her. "I don't think it matters what they said right now. We are all friends and family. We shouldn't be separated, nor should we hate each other." She sat down next to Trista.

Trista smiled. "Thank you, dear Hotaru."

"I'm sure you'll make them see that it's not so bad. After all, you did marry the father and you aren't giving up the baby. I don't see the problem, really."

"That's what I tried to tell her," Serena said. "I guess it doesn't matter to some people. Anyways, Trista, you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. I'm sure they don't have baby shops in the Underworld. Oooh shopping! You totally have to take me with you!"

Hotaru giggled. "Me too, Trista. This is going to be so much fun!"

Trista hadn't considered the shopping factor yet, but was grateful for her two friends' enthusiasm. "Thank you," she said, bowing her head. "It should be fun. But she still needs a name though," she reminded them.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

The entire day, Serena, Hotaru, and Trista shopped for various baby items, all the while trying to think of a good name for the baby itself. Still, no name seemed to fit the child, although Helena and Katrina both seemed like good names (suggested by Hotaru, of course).

At the end of the week, Trista made her way back to the Underworld, opening the portal from Serena's room to her own room at Hades' castle in her sailor scout form. She noticed with surprise that Hades was in there, looking at the mirror in her room. Turning around, he immediately smiled. "Ah, dear Pluto. I missed you so much," he said, walking towards her and hugging her. "It is good to see you. How was your trip?"

"Good, actually. See, I have things for our child," Trista replied, showing off the bags from her shopping trips.

"Ah, so typical of you women—shopping, shopping. But it is good that you did this. I'm sure our little one will enjoy it very much." Hades cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "Now, let's see what you bought."

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Charon waited on the edge of the cliff, watching the gate as he always did. He seemed to be expecting someone, however, and before long, a spirit in a long black cloak with a hooded appeared. "About time," Charon muttered, turning to meet the visitor. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?" he asked aloud.

"Well, it is rather difficult to escape the black gates alone," answered the faceless spirit. "But since Hades himself has been distracted, I have managed."

"Yes, it is good that he has a distraction. Pluto…the child…do you know what this means? The child of two very powerful beings can be quite the goddess herself. She would be immensely powerful. We should find out from Oracle what this child brings."

"But of course. Surely she would know the future of this little one. What do you plan to do eventually with this child?"

"Raise it as my own," answered Charon. "I will raise it and give it a specialized education in power and darkness. It will be my weapon, and I will once again rule the Underworld. Hades is too weak to run this place by himself. He is weak enough to fall in love—too weak to ward off anything from here much longer. I plan to relieve him of his duties very soon. But first, we must capture him when he is most vulnerable—sometime when Pluto has left again. She has returned, but I'm sure that's only temporary. Once the child is born, she'll do the typical female thing and show it off to the other scouts."

"Then we can attack."

"Of course."

"Good. I'd hate to have to face both of them. And let's not allow Pluto to involve the scouts this time. Last time…well…"

"I know," Charon replied irritably. "You died—so to speak. But to kill you would be impossible, right, Grim Reaper?"

The Reaper nodded.


	14. Chapter 14 The Birth

"ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Trista screamed. Dear God, this is too painful, she thought desperately.

"Come on, you can do it," Karma declared. "Amarina, bring some more towels! Kito, get some water! Come on, Trista, hang on!"

"You can do it, Trista," Hades said, reaching out to hold her hand. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard enough for the feeling to leave his fingers. "Ahhh…" he moaned.

"Hang on there," Karma. "I think I see a head!"

Trista sighed, then pushed with all of her strength. It was a difficult thing—she felt like she was pushing out her guts.

Fate entered the room. "Ah, almost time. Looks like I'm not too late."

Amarina and Kito both returned to the room with the towels and water. "Here, give me a hand, Fate," Karma suggested.

"Very well then." She and Karma both began to prepare to deliver the girl. "Come on Trista, just a bit more."

"I can't," Trista cried. "I…."

"Ah, here we go. That's it. Almost…got her!" Karma declared excitedly. "How wonderful! She is beautiful!"

"Let's wash her off," Fate ordered. Cleaning her and wrapping the girl up, Fate handed it to Trista. "I believe you'll be very pleased, Trista."

Trista's vision was a bit blurry thanks to the tears that were draining down her face, but she caught a glimpse of a child's innocent face. "Oh, she is beautiful. Look, Hades."

Hades smiled widely. "She is truly beautiful. Very much like her mother. Those wide eyes—only for you. She knows who her mother is."

"Those purple eyes…" Trista whispered. _They seem so familiar…_

"Yes, and her hair is slightly purple. Mostly black though. My mother had that sort of hair," Hades stated.

And then she realized the perfect name for the child—just as the sign of the planet Saturn embellished itself on the child's forehead. "Hotaru."


	15. Chapter 15 Hotaru

"That's an interesting name," said Hades. "Hotaru. Just perfect." He was beaming, just as proud as any new father would be.

Trista couldn't believe it. "How is this possible?" she asked Fate.

"Ah, well, you'll see. These things happen for a reason. I cannot tell you how many times I have to say this," Fate answered.

"Wait—the symbol of Saturn. Is this…?" Hades let the question hang.

"Yes, she's the sailor scout of the planet Saturn."

"How fitting, considering her birthday."

"It's the same as Hotaru's birthday. I didn't even consider it," Trista admitted. It was starting to make sense, though some of the details were a little fuzzy.

"What does Hotaru mean, anyway?" asked Karma from the other side of the room.

"Firefly," answered Trista. "My little firefly," she whispered.

**********************************************************************************************************************

It still confused her, but she was happy to know the truth. No wonder Trista had felt so motherly to Hotaru. No wonder she had always been paired with Saturn whenever they were battling foes. No wonder she felt so close to the girl—and no wonder Hotaru could practically read her mind.

_I bet she doesn't even know_, Trista thought. It would certainly be exciting to tell the truth to her—and with this, she could even straighten out the misunderstanding between herself and Michelle and Amara. _Certainly they would see, since they love Hotaru so much, that this was necessary._Fate's words echoed back to her: _**These things happen for a reason. You yourself may not know it know, but soon you will learn. You will look back and see that you and I have fixed a destiny for you, a destiny unique to you—a destiny you must fulfill. Despite the hardships that lay ahead, you must keep to the path, for if you go astray, you shall be in an eternal pit of despair and grief.**_

Trista rested herself for a week, grateful for the help of those living in the castle. Hotaru herself seemed to be a perfectly happy and healthy baby. It would be wonderful to share this good news with the rest of the scouts—especially Hotaru herself.

Charon even came to visit, temporarily leaving his post in the care of Kito in order to see his niece. "It is wonderful that she is a girl," he had said. "Very powerful woman she will become indeed." Trista had not liked the look in his eyes, though, when he stared at the child—almost as if he hungered for her. She disliked it even more when Hades told his brother what the child would become one day—the Saturn soldier. Trista didn't fully trust Charon, although Hades seemed to ignore his feud with his brother during this happy time. She was ever so glad when Charon finally left.

Another week passed, and Trista had enough strength to move about the castle, showing her child to the different people and parts of the castle. Hades was in such a good mood—even the slight increase in dead souls did not make his spirit falter. He was proud and happy.

Even Cerebrus took well to Hotaru. He acted like an overgrown puppy and tried to play with her, though Trista became worried the large dog would step on her and quickly pulled her away.

Everything seemed perfect. It was almost too good to be true, to use an old cliché.

One day, Trista approached Hades with Hotaru in her arms. "Dear, I was planning to make a trip up to the world above. It would be good for Hotaru to see the other side of the world—plus I would like to introduce Hotaru to the other girls."

"But of course. Just return soon. I missed you enough when you alone left on these trips. I'll miss the both of you when you leave now," he said, kissing Hotaru sweetly on the forehead.

"I'll return soon," Trista promised.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Trista didn't want to open the portal back to her old room at Michelle and Amara's apartment, though, so she transported herself to Serena's room at a time when she thought Serena would be at school. She surprised herself and Serena, however, when it turned out that Serena was indeed in her room, reading comic books. "Pluto!" she exclaimed. "Oh, and the baby!"

Trista nodded. "I thought you were at school," she said to Serena.

"It's Saturday."

"Oh…" Trista shook her head. It was difficult to keep up with the days when so much had been going on.

"What's her name?" Serena came over to see the bundle in Pluto's arms.

"Hotaru."

"Oh, just like our Hotaru?"

Pluto cleared her throat. "She _is_ our Hotaru."

"Wha…how?"

"I am not exactly sure yet, though I'm hoping to find out soon. At least, that's what Fate told me."

"Oh," Serena replied. "May I hold her?"

"Of course."

"She's so wonderful. She really looks like our Hotaru too—I remember when Hotaru was reborn as a baby."

"As do I." It had been after a rather difficult with Pharaoh 90, when Hotaru as Sailor Saturn proved to be the Messiah of the Holy Grail. Pluto cringed, thinking of the hard future that lay ahead for her little one.

Serena looked at her. "At least Michelle and Amara won't be mad at you anymore, not after you show them Hotaru."

"That's what I hope."

"We can go together," the blonde suggested.

Pluto smiled. "That would be nice." She looked down at her scout outfit. "I guess I should change, huh?"

Serena giggled. "Yeah, you should. My parents are downstairs."

*****************************************************************************************************************

Trista raised her hand to knock on the apartment door, hoping that Michelle and Amara would not refuse her right away. It turned out to be Hotaru who answered the door. Trista was unsure of what would happen if Hotaru met herself, but nothing seemed to happen immediately, other than a smiling grown Hotaru welcoming her and Serena inside. Michelle and Amara glared at Trista from the couch, but said nothing and had apparently decided to ignore her.

"So what's her name?" Hotaru asked as they walked towards the kitchen.

"Hotaru," Trista answered.

"You named her after me?"

Trista cleared her throat. "She…_is _you."

This caught Michelle and Amara's attentions. "What? How is that possible?" inquired Amara, coming over to look at the child.

"I don't know. It just is. When she was born, she had the mark of Saturn on her head. Also, look at her—does she not look like our Hotaru when she was born? It has to be her."

"But that's impossible," declared Michelle. "Isn't it?"

Amara said, "Not necessarily. I've learned one thing these past few years; nothing is entirely impossible. Strange, but not impossible."

Serena spoke up. "I think it's wonderful."

Michelle looked at her, then at Trista. "I suppose we owe you an apology then."

"And I do as well," replied Trista. "It is not an issue for two people to love one another—so long as you stay true to each other and continue to love. Love is certainly better than hate, and I should be happy you both have found someone to be with."

Amara and Michelle looked at each other, and then at Trista with a grateful look in their eyes. "Thank you," choked out Michelle.

"Hmm…were my eyes really that big when I was born?" asked Hotaru.

That set off a chain of giggles throughout the room.

********************************************************************************************************************


	16. Chapter 16 Demands

Charon stood on the ledge near the gates of the Underworld, gazing into the dead abyss. His plan had been working so far, and with Hades distracted, it was going more successfully than he had planned. The Reaper had kept his end of the bargain, diminishing souls in the world above. The line of souls coming to the Underworld was steadily increasing, and Hades was ignoring this—probably thinking it was just a temporary spike. _This is almost too easy_, Charon thought devilishly. Now all he had to do was to wait for Pluto to return…

************************************************************************************************************************************

The girls had thrown a rather belated baby shower for the little Hotaru. It was wonderful for Trista to share her little girl with her friends as they were amazed at this turn of events.

The time came, though, when Trista felt she was needed back at the Underworld. She was a little self-conscious about being gone so long, though it was good for the baby to see the real world, she felt.

Packing her things up in her old room at the apartment, Trista was lost in thought about how happy Hades would be to see his child when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she said absentmindedly.

The door opened. Trista turned around to face her visitor, Hotaru. "Leaving again?" the younger girl asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

Hotaru looked at the smaller version of herself, who was sleeping on Trista's old bed. "Why?"

"Well, I have matters to take care of in the Underworld. I must not neglect my other duties."

"But why so soon?"

"Why so concerned?"

"It's just that…" Hotaru sighed. "Since finding out that you are my mother, I wanted to spend more time with you."

"Well, time is certainly something I have plenty of. And we've spent so much time together without even realizing we were related. I do regret that I have to leave, but I do promise to come back again," Trista replied.

This did not seem to convince Hotaru. "But…Mother…"

A chill ran down Trista's spine. Hearing Hotaru say that for the first time…it almost broke her heart. She felt like she was betraying this Hotaru—she had to go back to the Underworld and take care of a smaller Hotaru while the grown Hotaru stayed in the real world, without her mother to look after her or guide her. Hotaru had never known a mother before; her human mother had died when she was young and the scouts never knew who her parents were before this time, even in the Silver Millennium.

Trista walked over to her grown Hotaru, holding the girl's hands in her own. "I am truly sorry, Hotaru. I want to be here for you, especially since finding out that we are mother and daughter. I have always felt a strong bond to you, stronger than to any other scout. You are my girl. I have always, always loved you. Never forget that. And never feel that I am abandoning you. There must be some way…" Trista thought for a moment. "Ah, yes. Fate can help me keep an eye on you. Should you ever require my help, I can come in an instant. Understand?"

Hotaru nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Then I really do have to leave…" Trista stood still. Something…didn't feel right. She could not put her finger on it, but it made her departure all the more necessary. "Let me at least check on things in the Underworld. I felt as if something has been changed."

Hotaru looked concerned. "Like what?"

Trista shook her head. "I don't know. But I shall find out." With that, she shouted, "Pluto Planet Power!" Transforming into her scout uniform, she raised her staff out and called forth the portal that would lead her back to the Underworld.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

"Sir, she has entered the Underworld," the Grim Reaper reported to Charon.

"Good. Took her long enough. You know what to do," replied Charon.

"But of course."

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

Trista entered Fate's tower. It was the most likely place to seek if there was some sort of trouble. She found, however, that the tower was unusually empty. It was also deathly quiet in the Underworld. No souls were screaming, no loud hound was barking. Holding Hotaru close, she looked out the window, but could not see very far. A strange mist had covered most of the Underworld. This can't be good, she thought. Where on Earth could she put Hotaru while she investigated what was going on? And where in the world was Fate? If Sailor Fate was missing, then there was definitely something wrong.

Before she could think any further, a deep, dark voice echoed in the shadows of the Underworld. "SAILOR PLUTO." Startled, Trista turned to look out the tower window again. "WELCOME BACK."

Pluto demanded, "What have you done with Fate?"

"FATE? AH, SHE MUST HAVE GONE LOOKING FOR YOU. 'TIS NO MATTER. I WANT YOU TO COME TO ME, SAILOR PLUTO. BRING THE CHILD WITH YOU."

"What do you want with Hotaru? And who are you?"

"YOU KNOW WHO I AM. YOU THOUGHT I COULD BE KILLED—BUT I WAS NOT DESTROYED. MY SPIRIT WILL REMAIN ALWAYS IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT."

"It can't be," she whispered. "The Reaper."

"I WANT THE CHILD BROUGHT TO THE COCYTUS RIVER. THERE YOU WILL FIND YOUR PRECIOUS HADES. TRADE HADES FOR THE GIRL AND THERE SHALL BE NO HARM DONE TO HIM."

"What have you done to Hades?" Pluto yelled.

"I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO HIM…YET. NOW, I HAVE LITTLE PATIENCE. BRING THE GIRL IN FIFTEEN MINUTES."

Pluto was stunned. _Trade Hotaru for Hades?_ _What does the Reaper want with my child?_She was on the verge of panic when a single clear course of action came to her. _Think, Pluto. You are the goddess of time._ She gasped. _Of course_, she thought. It was going to be the hardest thing she would have to do. She reached into her bag, and brought out one special gift from her baby shower. She was going to have to thank Serena for this one day….

*************************************************************************************************************


	17. Chapter 17 Returning to the Past

Sailor Pluto stepped through her portal to the Time-Space Gate, holding her Hotaru close. She held out her rod to the door, thinking of the time and place that she needed. She pulled back the rod, and opened the door.

"Disguise Pen! Turn me into—a hooded peasant!" When her transformation was through, she was wearing a cloak that covered her head completely. It would be just enough to blend in and reach her destination. Exiting the door, she stepped into the world of the Silver Millennium.

******************************************************************************************************************************

She knew the palace inside and out. It had taken not long to reach the suite where the Outer Scouts were in the Moon Palace. There weren't many people around at this time, as it was nighttime. She was stealthy, moving without so much as even a whisper.

It would be late at night, but she knew the outer scouts stayed up for late night discussions, especially as time on their planets passed differently than on the moon. Normally they would not even be on the moon, but this was the time of a great celebration of peace. It was the day after this date that someone had appeared, startling the people in the midst of tranquility.

Pluto had almost forgotten this memory, but with the panic, a clear memory had come forward in her mind.

She knocked on the door. Sailor Uranus opened it. "Can we help you?" she asked.

"May I come in?" Pluto asked, hoping they would not recognize her voice.

"But of course." Uranus stepped back and allowed the disguised Pluto to come in.

It was like stepping into a long-lost memory. There was Sailor Neptune, sitting comfortably in a velvet loveseat in the center of the room, brushing her long aquamarine hair. Uranus went to sit next to her, shooting an admiring look at her partner. And of course, there was Sailor Pluto sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, unknowing that her own self and her daughter just walked into the room.

"Hello there. Who are you?" the past Pluto asked herself kindly.

The disguised Sailor Pluto shook her head. "It is not good for me to say at this moment. I have a problem, and I need your help, sailor scouts. You see, I am the mother of this child. This is a difficult thing for me, but I must ask if you can take care of her for me. She is in great peril in my time and world."

"But why not leave her at an orphanage?" asked Sailor Uranus, furrowing her brow.

Sailor Pluto replied, "No, I could not do that. She should be with you—after all, she is a sailor scout herself."

"What?" exclaimed Uranus, standing up.

"Just look at her birthmark on her forehead. See that she bears the sign of the planet Saturn." The disguised Pluto pointed at the mark, shining in the dimness of the night.

"Saturn," the past Pluto gasped. "Then she is…"

"The scout of destruction," Sailor Neptune whispered. "She shouldn't be here! Not now! Not during this great time of peace!"

"She may not be welcome at first," the disguised Sailor Pluto said, "but she is necessary for the future. Guard her, teach her…as if she were one of your own. I charge you with her. Please, for in my time she will surely be used for evil purposes."

Sailor Pluto stood up and came over to the small child. "Saturn…" She reached out first for the baby, holding it carefully in her arms. "Her name?"

"Hotaru."

"Hotaru," the past Sailor Pluto repeated.

"Who are you?" asked Neptune. "Why are you bringing her here, now?"

" One day you will know who I am, but it will be a long, long time. I have my reasons. Do not fret for the end, for every new beginning comes from another beginning's end. Stay strong, sailor scouts." And with these parting words, Trista turned around and left as mysteriously as she had come in, leaving a very confused trio with a sleeping baby behind.


	18. Chapter 18 Protecting the Present

Sailor Pluto ran down the hall as fast as she could, trying to prevent herself from running back and taking her child with her to the future. _This is for the best_, she convinced herself. _You know you will see her again._

_But it's not the same_, her other self argued. _How can you leave your child behind? What kind of mother are you? What kind of sailor soldier leaves one of their own behind?_

_If it's for the better, then the soldier does it. This is the right thing to do. Hotaru belongs here._

_She belongs with you._

Pluto shook her head._ She belongs here._

_My poor baby…._

Reaching the top of a corner tower, Pluto checked around behind opening her portal to the future. It was time to go forwards from this moment on.

She couldn't help but look in the direction of where she had come from, though. Trista wished she had given her daughter a more proper goodbye.

_You can still make up for it. It is not too late. Now go!_

Sadly, she turned away and stepped through the portal back to the Time-Space Gate.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

Things were no better in the Underworld as Fate ran back to her tower. "Where's Pluto when you need her," she muttered. She had searched in vain for Hades' whereabouts, seeing as how the fog and the evil energy had interfered with her powers. It was no use, though, and she gave up—all up until the Grim Reaper had announced he would meet Pluto as the Cocytus River. The River of Forgetfulness…he probably wouldn't remember Trista even if she came to rescue him.

Pluto would need backup. The Reaper was killed once, he could be killed again. But what if…Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal would purify him?

She would send Karma. It would be the only way.

Sailor Fate ran faster, praying she would go unnoticed and her mission would succeed.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Sailor Pluto stepped out of her portal and back into the tower of Fate. She was pleasantly surprised to see Fate entering the room a moment later. "Fate," Pluto whispered.

"Where did you come from? I should really ask, where did you go?" Fate questioned her.

"You should know where. You knew all along, didn't you? You and Oracle both knew what I had to do." Pluto was almost angry for them not telling her.

Fate sighed. "As you should know by now, you probably would not have done it or it may have altered your destiny had I told you what you would be doing. Now, there's so much going on—what is it again that I should have told you?"

Pluto replied, "I took Hotaru back to the past."

Fate nodded. "Ah. The Silver Millennium. Then it is done."

"What is done?"

"The prophecy has been fulfilled and all is well in the world."

"The prophecy?" Pluto was confused.

"The prophecy of the past. Oracle told them all—even you—that the scout of destruction would come. Now that is done, or has been done for quite some time now. Speaking of time, how much time did you spend there? You don't have much time left here to rescue Hades."

The thought of Hades in trouble was unsettling to Pluto. She sat down next to Fate. "Well, going back in the past, for me, does not alter time here, nor does it alter my physical age. Ha, if it did…well, I would be significantly older."

"How much older?"

"About 2539 years."

Fate's jaw dropped. "I had no idea. Honestly. You are almost older than me."

"Almost?"

Fate waved her hand. "That's not important right now. What you are saying is that your trip—say it took fifteen minutes or so in the past—took no time here because you returned to the same exact moment you left?"

"Something like that, yes."

"That's certainly impressive. As you can tell, my specialty is not in time travel or portals. I look towards the present and future," Fate said. "Right now, unless we can save Hades, it looks like a dark destiny from here."

"I'm going to help him. I already have an idea," declared Pluto.

Fate responded, "Well, I hope it is a good one. You do know what river the Reaper was talking about, right? The River of Forgetfulness. Trista, you might get your Hades back, but he might not remember you."

Sailor Pluto was astounded. "I did not think about that. Surely…surely he could remember our love? Is there not some sort of cliché—love conquers all?"

"Well, I certainly hope in your case that comes true. I am going to send Karma back to fetch Sailor Moon so that the Silver Crystal can purify the Reaper once and for all. With your power and hers, you should be able to defeat him."

Pluto nodded. "I understand. I need to get something before I go to the River—and I am running out of time. Send her to me; I will be ready."

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

_I never thought I would actually use this,_ Pluto thought. To the naked eye, there was no one crossing the water and going to the Cocytus River. However, Pluto was really invisible, wearing the helmet Hades had given her upon her return to the Underworld. As she continued along the path to find her lover, she began to feel a bit faint. _Does the River make you forget when you are near it,_ she wondered. _I thought Hades mentioned something about it…but I cannot quite remember…_She shook her head. _I can't let this get to me. I have to move on._

Sailor Pluto kept walking, holding her staff ready at a moment's notice. Then she saw him—wandering as if he was a loner, a vague memory of the world. It saddened her deeply to see him so lost. Walking towards him, she noticed he was drenched. _He must have been thrown in the river, she_ figured. _My Hades…_As he stumbled about, she walked to him. He stood still, as if in his madness, he had heard someone. Mumbling and grumbling to himself, he looked suspiciously around. Taking the opportunity at hand, Pluto leaped forward into his arms and kissed him as passionately as she could.

It took a moment for the stunned Hades to break off the kiss, but when he did, he had a look of pure confusion. "What the hell?" He stepped back. "Why am I at this river? And who the heck just kissed me?"

Trista took off her helmet, grinning. "My love…"

"Ah! So it is you! I was hoping so…I was wandering in the darkness…so cold…so dark…and then, your light shone. I thought it was another hallucination in my mind…but then…your kiss….I remember myself properly now." He held Pluto close. "My dear Trista…"

"As much as I would like to watch this sappy scene," interrupted a sarcastic voice, "I really do have better things to do. Why did you not bring Hotaru, Trista?"

"I must have left her somewhere," answered Sailor Pluto defiantly. "I will not allow you to mess with my child's future!"

"Ah, but that is the wrong answer," replied the voice. Out of the fog stepped the Reaper. "You do not want the curse of my wrath."

Hades held out his right arm and appeared his silver rod, flashing with its power. "You have no power here!" he roared. "Not while I am in charge!"

"You see, little brother, that is where you are wrong," chimed in another voice.

Pluto asked, "Charon?"

"Good guess, dearest Trista. Yes, it is me. You see, I planned to rule the world with you child…maybe even love her, since she is a woman after all. I see, however, you have defied me. Well, you have defied me for the last time! Reaper!"

"Yes, sir," replied the dark spirit. Holding out his scythe, he swooped it in the air sideways, aiming to cut off Pluto's neck. It was met, however, not by Hade's staff, nor Pluto's staff—but by another scythe. "What is this?" asked the Grim Reaper angrily.

"I can't see a bloody thing," said Charon. With a wave of his arm, he made the fog disappear.

Certainly it was an interesting sight. The cause of the stop of the Reaper's scythe was Sailor Saturn. "Saturn?" Pluto asked. She remembered to breathe again. "But…how did you get here?"

"Simple. Sailor Moon was coming here, and there was no way I was going to let her do this alone, especially after discovering that you are my mother. I have a right to be here, and I probably have power in this world as well," answered Sailor Saturn, grinning.

Charon let out a laugh. "Ah, so you did bring her. Lovely. Well, at least I won't have to change diapers. Hotaru, my dear, your mother was just trading you for her precious Hades. How do you feel about that?"

"What?" Saturn's grip on her scythe faltered a bit. "How could you?"

"It's not like that," Pluto replied. "Please, Hotaru, you have to believe me."

"Why? So you can abandon me again?"

"Hotaru! Your mother and I love you very much," said Hades, despite his obvious confusion in seeing his daughter all grown up. "Trista would not trade you—not for anything in the world. She came here alone, not knowing you would be here. And now, with your appearance, you have put us all in danger."

Saturn's jaw dropped. "I did? But…how can you blame me for this?"

Charon was standing back, watching the show. "Ah, it is so good to watch other people fight. This is why I hate dealing with family matters anymore."

"Oh yeah? Well, deal with this! Silver Starlight Crystal Blast!" From far behind Sailor Saturn, a beam of pure white light hit Charon straight in the chest, causing him to fall several feet behind.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Pluto was never so happy to see anyone.

"What took you so long?" asked Saturn.

"I kept tripping over these darn rocks. It was so foggy just a few minutes ago," retorted the blonde, who started to prepare an attack on the Reaper. "Silver Starlight Crystal—" She was interrupted, however, by the Reaper's swift movements.

He disappeared and reappeared next to here, holding his scythe to her throat. "You stay out of this, little Moon scout. Do not force me to return the favor you did for me a while back—I should hate to hate to kill you again."

Pluto whispered to her daughter, "Hotaru, listen. Your father and I have great power. Surely, if you join with us, we can defeat these men and I can explain everything to you later. It is not as easy as it sounds, coming from Charon. I have had to let you go before, but never again. I cannot do it—and I never will. Do you understand me?"

Saturn nodded. "Yes, mother."

"Then let us defeat this evil. Hades?"

"Yes ma'am." Hades held up his silver rod. Pluto held up here next to his. In the middle, Saturn's scythe crossed both of theirs. A strange, silver light suddenly flooded the Underworld, causing everything to be bright, almost as if it was daytime.

"With our powers, three in one—combine them, Chronos, and let us be done!" shouted Pluto. A red beam, like a laser, cut straight through the Reaper, causing him to fall. Sailor Moon stepped back, afraid of the light. "Don't be scared," said Sailor Pluto. "Use your power!"

"Right. Silver Starlight Crystal Blast!" Sailor Moon touch where the head of the Reaper would be with her staff, and a white spirit evaporated from the black cloak.

The body of the Reaper fell, as if there was nothing under the cloak at all. "Thank you," whispered the small white ghost, and the three scouts and Hades watched as the spirit headed towards the river Styx.

"That was interesting," Hades muttered.

Pluto said, "Now his spirit is finally purified."

"Too bad that didn't work on me," said Charon. He appeared to have finally recovered from Sailor Moon's attack. "My turn. Hell Thunder Blast!" Voltage of high intensity rained from the top of the Underworld, headed for Sailor Moon.

"No!" shouted Sailor Saturn. "Death Reborn Revolution!" Her attack interfered with the voltage, causing a loud crash and an enormous explosion, knocking everyone to the ground. Well, almost everyone. Charon's body fell in the river. He resurfaced, gasping for breath and crawling on shore. Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Pluto, and Hades observed Charon as he looked around, almost as if he had never been to the Underworld before.

Noticing the group standing before him, Charon asked, "Um, do you know where I am?"

Sailor Pluto smirked. Now Charon had lost his memory. _Oh, the irony. Speaking of which…I wonder if Fate had anything to do with that._


	19. Chapter 19 An Explanation

**A/N: I would love to thank my few but faithful readers thus far. I appreciate your reviews immensely; to several of you, I have even published a reply via PM. I am sincerely glad you enjoy my story. I also apologize it has taken so long for this story to finish. Thank you for your patience, and of course, as always, read and review. **

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Hades, Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Pluto watched Charon as he wandered around, apparently terrified of his surroundings. "What is this place?" he cried out. "So cold….ahh there are ghosts over there! Protect me!"

Pluto exchanged a glance with Hades. "It's nice to know your brother is so brave," she said with a small laugh.

"Who are you people?!"

Hades stood up and walked over to his brother. "Why don't you come back to our castle? We have a lot of catching up to do, brother."

"Brother?" Charon asked. The two brothers began to walk towards the castle, both talking to one another. Hades make it seem like Charon had a tragic attack of amnesia, never telling him the full details of what had occurred. It seemed as if he did not want to remind his brother of their previous fight so that the two of them could start anew.

Sailor Moon crossed her arms and asked Pluto, "So tell me again what's going on. Karma was very brief when she came to get me."

"I want my answer first," said Saturn, staring at Pluto. "Why did Charon say you were going to exchange me?"

Pluto looked sadly at her daughter. "Charon wanted you for his evil purposes. Once he found out you, as a baby, were the child of the planet Saturn, the scout of destruction, he wanted to exploit your power. I refused to give you up—and I realized then why you were born here in the present instead of the past."

"Why?"

"Well, I had to return you to the Silver Millennium. It was the safest place for you to be—far from Charon's reach. I left you with the outer scouts, including myself, to guide you and protect you." Sailor Pluto sighed. "That's why you have no memory of your mother—I had to leave you as a child for your own protection. Now you are grown, and can use your own power under your own free will."

"Oh. So you _did_ abandon me."

"But only to protect you!"

"I think I understand," she said. "I think it may take some time to get used to all of this, though."

"Would you like to stay for a while and get to know your father and me?"

Saturn smiled. "Yes, I think I would like that."

"So let me get this straight," interrupted Sailor Moon. "Without knowing who our Hotaru was, you wouldn't have known who your child was. So if you hadn't gone back to the past, we wouldn't have our Hotaru. But if you didn't return Hotaru to the past, then the present Hotaru wouldn't be here…but you did go to the past…so…oooh my brain hurts…"

Saturn giggled and Pluto smiled. "Do not worry about it, Princess. It is done and over with. Now let us go on to our future—together," the time scout declared, gazing at her precious daughter.

"Yes, let's go. I'd like to see your castle," Saturn said.

Pluto corrected her. "_Our _castle."

As the trio walked to the castle together, Pluto looked at the tallest tower above her and thought, _Thank you, Fate._

***********************************************************************************************************************

**THE END. **

**Another Note: If you would like to read more about Sailor Pluto and the Underworld, or just Sailor Pluto in general, let me know. I hope I'm portraying her very well—she is a mysterious character by nature and not a lot is said about her in the manga or anime. I've taken a few creative liberties in my stories and have become very attached to Trista's character. Hopefully you enjoyed this as much as I have. **


End file.
